Deadline U.S.A.

The real losers in this election cycle are the legacy media outlets that have traded their remaining professional integrity for the prospect of an Obama win. These same outlets are dying at a pretty rapid clip as people flock to sources that specialize in news and not blind advocacy.

But as the media meltdown occurs, it’s fun to look at old Hollywood favorites in which the news business is idealistically portrayed as truth-seeking without fear or favoritism. One such cherished oldie is Deadline U.S.A., a largely forgotten 1952 Bogart vehicle that also stars Ethel Barrymore, Kim Novak and Jim Backus in a pre-Thurston Howell role.

Bogart plays Ed Hutcheson, editor-in-chief of a big-city newspaper about to be sold. In the final few editions of the paper, Hutcheson works mightily to pin a murder on a crime boss whose corrupt organization plagues his city. While there is a love interest and various subplots, the focus is on getting the news in the face of threats and intimidation. Of particular interest are the editors and reporters who dedicate themselves to the project in the face of certain unemployment and physical danger.

Contrast this with a video of a polling place in Philadelphia today, where Black Panthers are stationed with nightsticks to intimidate voters. The ‘reporter’ on the scene is a poll-watcher with a video camera. His ‘report’ is now viral around the world. Are we learning anything here about the changes in the news business?

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Tagged as: News, newspaper, Obama